POV Season 27 Episode 2
POV
Season 27

Ep 2. American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs.

  • June 30, 2014
  • 8.0  (8)

American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs is the second episode of season 27 for the documentary series POV. It follows the life and work of Grace Lee Boggs, an influential philosopher, activist, and writer who played a significant role in the civil rights and labor movements in the United States.

The episode takes viewers on a journey through Boggs' life, starting with her childhood in New York City and following her as she moves to Chicago and eventually Detroit, where she spends the majority of her career. Through archival footage, interviews with Boggs and her contemporaries, and narration by actress and activist Angela Davis, the episode provides an intimate look at Boggs' life and work.

Boggs was born to Chinese immigrant parents and grew up in the Bronx. She graduated from Barnard College in 1935 and went on to earn a PhD in philosophy from Bryn Mawr College. After teaching at various universities, including the University of Chicago, Boggs moved to Detroit in the 1950s to work with the black community in their struggle for civil rights.

In Detroit, Boggs became involved with the organization that would become known as the Detroit Asian Youth Project, which aimed to empower Asian Americans and fight against racial discrimination. She also worked with the Revolutionary Union Movement, a group of African American autoworkers who were demanding better working conditions and more control over their own lives.

Throughout her career, Boggs emphasized the importance of creating a "new American revolution" that would go beyond traditional politics and focus on building sustainable communities. She saw the civil rights movement as just the beginning of a larger, more radical social movement that would transform American society.

The episode explores Boggs' evolving political beliefs over the course of her life, including her rejection of Marxist-Leninist ideology and her embrace of a more flexible, community-based form of activism. It also touches on her personal life, including her marriage to activist and labor organizer James Boggs, who she worked with closely until his death in 1993.

American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs is a compelling tribute to an inspiring and unconventional thinker who played a significant role in shaping American social movements of the 20th century. Through Boggs' life and work, the episode invites viewers to consider the potential for revolutionary change in our own time.

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Description
  • First Aired
    June 30, 2014
  • Language
    English
  • IMDB Rating
    8.0  (8)